The Daily Star Ireland
The Irish national team faced a tough night at Wembley, suffering their heaviest defeat in 12 years with a 5-0 loss to England. Captain Nathan Collins admitted that the team let down their traveling supporters and that the second-half collapse was difficult to explain, especially after a positive first half. The team had shown resilience early on, but things unraveled after Liam Scales was sent off with a second yellow card, leading to a penalty and England’s surge in the second half.
Collins, who was playing in defensive midfield to support the backline, reflected on the first half, which saw Ireland frustrating England and creating some counter-attack opportunities. The plan was working well up to the break, with the Irish team in control and England struggling to break them down. However, the situation changed dramatically in the second half after the penalty and subsequent goals.
He acknowledged the disappointment of the fans who had traveled to Wembley, stating that the second-half performance was not reflective of the team’s potential or the efforts they had made in recent matches. Collins apologized on behalf of the team, recognizing that they were capable of better performances and that they let down the supporters.
Despite the heavy loss, Collins emphasized that Ireland had shown signs of improvement in previous games, including coming from behind to beat Finland and performing well in Greece. He stressed that the team’s overall defensive displays had been getting better, but the second half against England was a setback.
He also noted that England, despite dominating possession in the first half, were visibly frustrated by Ireland’s defensive setup, with Harry Kane dropping deep to try to get involved. However, the game shifted when Scales was sent off early in the second half, which Collins felt was a harsh decision that changed the momentum. The subsequent goals came from set-pieces, and Collins believed Ireland’s defensive organization suffered from not being able to adjust quickly enough after going down a man.
Looking ahead to the upcoming relegation playoff in March, Collins said that the team must learn from the Wembley defeat. He urged his teammates to focus on the positives, particularly the solid performance in the first half. Collins believes the team has been improving as a whole and that they must keep building on their progress. While the second-half collapse was a setback, he remains hopeful that Ireland can continue to grow as a squad and bounce back stronger.
